


A Walk on Memories

by bluevelvett



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Boruto timeline, Final chapter is a little sad, Light Angst, M/M, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Smut, but not a sad ending, mentioned Mitsuki, mentioned Yakushi Nonou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-10-22 23:37:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17672303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluevelvett/pseuds/bluevelvett
Summary: “I find a little bit hard to believe you changed.” The phrase sounded harsher than Kabuto expected it to, making Orochimaru’s almost non-existent smile fade away, followed by a long and nearly disappointed sigh.“You still say the exact words I deserve to hear, even if they are not what I personally want to hear.” Orochimaru approached a little, staying in front of the other man. “But you are smart enough to know that you are not the only one who has changed, Kabuto.”orIn which Kabuto and Orochimaru meet after spending more than a decade away from each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :)  
> I came back with a story a bit longer than the first one I posted of this ship. I was already writing this one when I posted "The Despair of Mercy", and it took a little longer to finish it, but it is finished for almost two weeks by now and I only had the courage to post it today.  
> I tried so hard not to write anything extremely out of character and I still can't say if it is okay, but I liked the full story.
> 
> While I was writting this story, I listened mostly to Gain's Paradise Lost because I think it suits OroKabu very well, especially the melody and most part of the lyrics. I am still thinking about writting something based on the entire song because I like to write stories based on music, but I don't know yet.
> 
> Well, I hope you like this chapter ❤  
> Good reading

It was late at night. The freezing wind entered the bedroom through the slightly open window and touched the man’s face. Kabuto was still awake, working on some of the Orphanage papers. He was tired, and his body begged for some sleep, but he had to keep on going. He knew he could count on Urushi, but even after so many years by his brother’s side, Kabuto just could not let him do everything, especially since he stayed with the kids more than Kabuto himself.

Sighing tiredly, he adjusted his glasses and stretched his back, feeling the muscles aching a little. Before he went to sleep, he would have to use his chakra to ease the pain or else the next day would not be very promising.

He was about to go back to work when he felt the cold breeze on his face again, and so he got up and went to close the window. But when he touched the glass, he felt something crawling through his hand. Looking at it, he saw a little white snake, with her eyes glowing in bright yellow and accentuating the violet marks on her eyes. The animal wrapped itself softly on his hand, using little pressure. And then, she went outside slowly. After that, Kabuto knew someone was around the Orphanage territory. A different person, but very well known by him.

Kabuto got out of his room and took a lamp in his hand, carefully so he would not wake anyone in the house. Outside was even colder than the wind that entered his room, but he had to make sure that that person was really there, in a place one was not supposedly allowed to be.

The light of the lamp was low, but still he could see where he was walking to. Following what he felt, Kabuto found himself in the middle of the trees that were close to the Orphanage. He felt _that_ presence impossibly close but could not tell where exactly it came from.

“It has been a long time, Kabuto.” He heard that raspy voice speaking from behind him, and he found the man leaning in a tree, with his arms crossed slightly.

Before asking anything, Kabuto started to look at him. He was different from what Kabuto remembered, younger, with lighter clothes and dark hair tied in a light ponytail, remembering his own hair. And he felt something tightening in his chest from just seeing the man again. He knew exactly what it was and why it happened, but he also would not allow this feeling to take over him. He would do anything to keep it away.

“What are you doing here, Orochimaru?”

“I wanted to see you.” He answered like it was the most obvious thing he would do in the Hidden Leaf Village. “I was with Naruto-kun talking about my son Mitsuki, but before I left to Oto, I thought about coming to visit you.”

“And why exactly you wanted to see me?” He asked suspiciously, because he knew Orochimaru way too much to be aware that he should not trust him easily.

“I just wanted to.” He gave Kabuto a small smile, almost imperceptible, and Kabuto was somehow confused about that. It was rare seeing the man smiling without any sarcasm on his face. “You should not doubt me that much, Kabuto. You, more than anyone, know that people can change.”

“I find a little bit hard to believe _you_ changed.” The phrase sounded harsher than he expected it to, making Orochimaru’s almost non-existent smile fade away, followed by a long and nearly disappointed sigh.

“You still say the exact words I deserve to hear, even if they are not what I personally want to hear.” He approached a little, staying in front of the other man. “But you are smart enough to know that you are not the only one who has changed, Kabuto.”

A strange silence set between the two, and while none of them said anything, Kabuto could feel Orochimaru’s gaze on him, watching him carefully as if looking for something. Knowing the man, Kabuto could assume he was trying to find any kind of weakness in his face. The motive, Kabuto did not know. And so, he saw Orochimaru walking terribly closer, making Kabuto see that now there was such an insignificant difference on their height, the older man being slightly taller.

“Tell me one thing, Kabuto-kun.” He ran his long fingers through Kabuto’s whitish face and looked straight into his eyes, that still had the same violet marks as his own. “Do you hate me?”

“Why does it matter?” He answered with another question, in a defiant tone, never looking away from the other man’s eyes to show he was not the same man from years before. “I thought you did not care about being hated.”

“I do not. But you, Kabuto, are the only person I do not want to be hated by.” Orochimaru sighed, moving away from him. He wanted to hear the words coming out of Kabuto's lips, even though he knew Kabuto was just as stubborn as he himself. But he would not insist, he did not want to make Kabuto doubt everything he said. “I have to leave. Naruto-kun will not be happy if he finds me here in the morning.”

When he saw that Orochimaru was about to leave, Kabuto just held his hand, preventing him from walking away and making the older man look at him again, with a questioning expression on his face.

“Do you really just wanted to see me?” Kabuto questioned, quite confused about the reason why Orochimaru was there. “It is really hard for me to believe you do not have any other purpose by coming here.”

“You know, that is the reason why you _always_ were my favorite.” Orochimaru smirked slightly. Kabuto knew what Orochimaru was talking about. Years ago, when they still worked together, Kabuto was the only one Orochimaru allowed to talk back without any hard punishment, because he liked the fact that Kabuto never accepted things just like they were. Orochimaru knew Kabuto was an extremely skillful person, and one of his traces were to question on people’s real intentions. None of them trusted people easily, but they used to trust each other. “You practically never are wrong about what you think, especially about me. But I am afraid this time you are.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kabuto was starting to get impatient.

“I never lied to you and this will not change now, Kabuto.” Orochimaru got closer to him again, putting both his hands on Kabuto’s face. “But you are right about one thing. I did not come here just to _see_ you.”

After those words, Kabuto’s eyes grew wide open when he felt Orochimaru’s cold lips against his own, in a light and soft touch that almost made Kabuto question if that really was the snake Sannin. And although he still suspected Orochimaru’s real reasons, he decided to just trust him like he always did before. So, he grabbed the collar of the man’s robe with his free hand, closing his eyes and opening his mouth so that they could fight for the control over that kiss.

Kabuto could feel a little smile on the older man’s face, and so he released the grip on his clothes, sliding his hand through the pale neck while he tilted his own head to deepen the kiss. When he did, both gasped for air, biting on each other’s lips. He felt an arm embrace his waist, making him almost drop the lamp he was holding as he kissed the man even more fiercely. But then, suddenly he felt Orochimaru leave his lips, and when he opened his eyes, the other was gone, leaving Kabuto extremely confused in the middle of those trees, with a feeling even stranger than before.

Then, when Kabuto was about to question himself what had just happened, he heard the sound of leaves getting crushed coming from some trees, followed by a dim light. Holding a lamp on his hand, Urushi looked at Kabuto with an interrogative face.

“I heard you getting out of the house, but I thought you were taking too long to come back. Did something happen?”

“No. I thought I had felt something different but apparently it was only in my mind.” Kabuto did not want to lie, but he just could not say that the man that once wished to destroy the Hidden Leaf came to see _him_ of all people. “I am sorry for waking you up.”

“It is okay. I was just a little worried.” He smiled a little and started to walk back, followed by Kabuto. “You have to start sleeping right again. It is starting to affect your sanity.”

Kabuto chuckled at that, because even though it was not this particular case, he knew Urushi had a point. There were days in which he just could not sleep even if he tried. And there were days in which he wished not to sleep, because even after so many years, sometimes nightmares still haunted him. Although Urushi knew he had his hard time to sleep, he did not know the main reason for it, and Kabuto preferred to keep it like that. It would avoid bigger problems.

Soon they were in the house again, and Urushi went back to sleep. He got tired easily because of his work, so he needed to rest. Kabuto just got back in to his room, starting to work with his papers again. But as soon as he started to read the letters, his mind drove him to some moments ago. He was not dumb, he could imagine the reason behind what happened in the middle of those trees. But what he still did not understand was why Orochimaru would take such risks just to see him. Probably Kabuto was just over thinking, so he just went back to read.

It was going to be a long night.

—————X—————

There was an uncomfortable silence between both men while they were going back to the Sound Village. Yamato was rather confused by Orochimaru’s actions not long ago. When the Sannin asked him if they could visit Kabuto before leaving, he prepared himself in case of something bad happening. He expected the man to do _anything_ when he saw Kabuto _,_ but never imagined Orochimaru would actually _kiss_ him.

“I have to report that meeting to the Hokage.” Yamato said, because even if the Snake Sannin did not seem to have any _evil_ intentions, there was still a reason to suspect him, especially when he wanted to see his ex-right-hand man. “You know you should not be in Konoha, and much less seeing Kabuto.”

“I expected you to say that, but I assume the risks of doing it.” _I have done much worse than that,_ he thought after answering.

Silence set again. Yamato thought about how he was going to tell Naruto about that without sounding like he was being conniving to a possible threat to the Leaf. He did not think he could handle both Orochimaru and Kabuto alone if something went wrong when he allowed the older man to go to the Orphanage, he knew better than that. But after years keeping an eye on the man, he slowly started to believe he changed, even if there still existed suspicions. Knowing Orochimaru, it was normal to distrust him, and even Orochimaru knew that. _Maybe that is the reason he does not complain about being watched,_ Yamato thought.

On the other hand, Orochimaru only thought about Kabuto. If Kabuto hated him, he did not know. Kabuto always were a hard man to read, almost always being completely unpredictable. And that was one of the things Orochimaru most liked about him. He never knew how Kabuto would react to something he said or did, and that thought fascinated him. He also liked the way Kabuto acted around him. Kabuto was not afraid of him, and back in time, he always said what he wanted to say, only apologizing if he realized he went to far.

It was pretty clear to Orochimaru what he felt about the silver-haired man. He did not want to accept in the beginning, but he grew fond of it when he thought about how he could never replace Kabuto in his life. He knew he could not substitute the younger man neither as his right arm nor as his company. Because he enjoyed Kabuto’s presence by his side more than he previous thought. He always did. And he liked the feeling he had, because somehow, deep inside, he wanted Kabuto to feel the same. Both Orochimaru and Kabuto knew they had a symbiotic kind of relationship before, but none of them would ever say it out loud. They were too proud for that. And in the moment, the Sannin only thought about how their lives separated enough so they did not need each other anymore.

A sound of Yamato talking brought Orochimaru out of his thoughts, and he instead started to focus on getting back to Hidden Sound. There were a lot of things for him to worry when he gets there. Especially now since he did not have a right-hand man by his side.

—————X—————

Almost a month passed since that day. Kabuto still did not understand what happened that night, but he could not allow himself to spend so much time thinking about it. He had many things to do and he tried to convince himself that thinking about Orochimaru was not one of them, although he knew he could not help it. On the contrary to what he wanted, he did stay awake thinking about the Sannin, and some days he even dared questioning if the man thought about him too. But he should not think about those things, he had enough work to worry about at the Orphanage.

It was still early in the night, but both Kabuto and Urushi were leading the kids to their room. It was time for them to sleep. When Kabuto came to the Orphanage, he soon started to admire Urushi for his patience and care for the kids. It was like he has been born to do it, and, for that reason, Kabuto preferred to let him stay the most time with the children. They liked Urushi more than they liked Kabuto, probably because Urushi acted childish most part of the time and it made them happy. Also, Kabuto knew that the new kids that came to the Orphanage from time to time were frightened of his appearance. He had the reptile characteristics ever since the war, with extremely pale and flaky skin, yellow and purple marked eyes, and he knew some of the children were scared of him because of this. But fortunately for him, soon they were okay with his presence in the house.

Soon only a few children were still awake, and it would not take too long until all of them were sleeping. But a knock on the door interrupted them. Kabuto said he would see who it was so Urushi did not have to worry. Walking out of the room, before he even reached the front door, he started to feel Orochimaru’s presence again. He felt that same thing on his chest but decided to not think much about it and just opened the door, seeing the man beside Yamato.

“Good night, Kabuto.” Yamato greeted, not knowing exactly how to handle the situation, and Kabuto bowed in respect, but soon turned his attention to the older man.

“What are you doing here again?” He went straight to the point, and Orochimaru only smirked at him, not even bothering to reply.

“Well, Hokage-sama met him today again and allowed him to stay here for the next three days.” Yamato answered, with an uncomfortable feeling. “That is, of course, if you and Urushi accept it.”

“I will talk to him.” Kabuto let them in and went back to the room Urushi was. He found him sitting on the bed with a child, and it looked like she was the last one going to sleep. So, he approached, smiling softly at the view of all the kids sleeping peacefully.

“Who was it?” Urushi asked in a low tone of voice so he would not wake anyone up, knowing the little girl was already asleep.

“Orochimaru.” He answered in the same tone, and Urushi looked at him in disbelief. “Yamato said the Hokage allowed them to stay for three days. They are waiting in the front room.”

“I do not trust him.” Kabuto sighed at that.

“You should not trust me either.” He said, not knowing exactly what to expect.

“People can change, Kabuto.” Urushi realized that what he said also applied to the Sannin, soon regretting the choice of words, but knowing it could also be true.

When they were sure everyone was sleeping, both went to the front room, meeting Orochimaru and Yamato at the place.

“So, Hokage-sama said you could stay?” Urushi asked, earning a response from Yamato.

“Yes. I did not believe at the beginning, but I have the function to follow Orochimaru and watch his steps.”

Urushi looked at the Sannin, that remained quiet but with an annoying little smile in his face. He looked questioning at the older man, trying to know his intentions, but failing. He also looked at Kabuto, but apparently, he was a little stray, like he was in his own world. It was strange, because Kabuto rarely, almost never did this. But soon the latter reassumed his composure, looking straight to Orochimaru.

“I will show you your rooms.” Kabuto said, slowly, leading both guests to their places. Orochimaru then walked by his side, not saying a word, exactly the same way Kabuto was.

Urushi watched them for behind, by Yamato’s side, and started to wonder why Kabuto was acting so weird. He was quiet, like he was hiding something. And Orochimaru was not any different. Urushi did not expected the Sannin to remain quiet all the time. Then, he remembered the day Kabuto went alone to the middle of the trees outside.

“Did Orochimaru came here anytime recently?”

“He did. Almost a month ago because he said he wanted to see Kabuto.” Yamato responded, voice low, and Urushi understood exactly _what_ was happening when he saw the discomfort in the Anbu’s face.

“Can we trust him?” _Can we trust them?,_ he thought.

“Not a hundred percent, but in the last few years, he did not do anything we have to worry about. I think we should maybe give him one chance.” Apparently, Yamato wanted to believe his own words. “What about Kabuto?”

“He never leaves the Orphanage.” Urushi sighed, seeing Kabuto leading Orochimaru to the latter’s room. “I think we _maybe_ do not have anything to worry about him.”

“Hokage-sama said we must give them a chance.” Yamato said in a low tone. “He also said that if something goes wrong, he already knows what to do.”

—————X—————

_Naruto was rather confused by Yamato’s report about the last time Orochimaru came to the Leaf Village. And even more confused when, after asking for a personal meeting with the Sannin, Yamato told him Orochimaru requested to spend some time with Kabuto._

_He understood what was happening between both men, but he, just like everyone else, did not trust Orochimaru enough to just let him do what he wanted without someone watching him and without talking personally to him. And he also did not trusted Kabuto enough to let him wander around Konoha as well. And as the Hokage, he had to watch their actions in case something happened._

_The main reason the Sannin was on his room in the Hokage Tower was to talk about Mitsuki’s mission, because the boy would be more than a week away. But also, he wanted to talk to Orochimaru about his visit to Kabuto._

_“Yamato said you wanted to spend a little time in the Orphanage, right?” He asked, looking at the man straight in the eyes. “I believe that, if you and Kabuto accept the conditions, I do not have a reason to deny it.”_

_“And what conditions you mean by that?” Orochimaru asked, already knowing what Naruto meant, but wanting to confirm it._

_“Yamato will stay there with you. And, if I decide there is need of it, I will send Kakashi as well.”_

_“Nothing I am not used to.” Orochimaru laughed slightly and agreed. “I believe you also do not want me to walk freely around Konoha.”_

_“I see you are starting to understand.” That made Orochimaru put on a cynical smile._

_They shared some more words about the terms, and soon the Hokage said they were done talking. But before Orochimaru left, Naruto stopped him._

_“Why, of all people to be with, you had to choose Kabuto?” Naruto asked, wanting to know the real answer to, maybe, decide to believe the man or not._

_“Oh, Naruto-kun, I did not choose him.” He smiled a little, and it was not one of the typical smiles he always gave. Not like the previous one he offered Naruto. And that surprised the Hokage, because he did not think he would ever see the Sannin smile like that. “You know there are things we just can not control.”_

—————X—————

Late at night, in his bed, Kabuto was struggling to sleep. He was a little anxious about what would happen in the morning. He did not know what to expect, and he was somehow worried. Knowing that the reason of his worries was only some meters away made his head ache, and what made him even worse was feeling the man impossibly close to him. He knew Orochimaru always had a hard time sleeping but feeling the man like that after so many years was so strange to him.

Kabuto knew it would not take long until Orochimaru got out of his room and started to walk through the house, trying to find something to distract him from the trouble to sleep. But he did not expect that the man would gently open the door to his’s room and stand there, watching the silver-haired man lying on his bed. Kabuto was aware Orochimaru knew he was awake, but none of them did anything to prove the opposite. And after few minutes, the Sannin left the room as softly as he entered.

He felt the raven-haired man go back to his room. And thinking about each other, both men stayed awake. Orochimaru’s thoughts of Kabuto kept his sleep away, while the mere presence of the man kept Kabuto awake. Because even if they were apart, deep inside both of them wished they were not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so, I came back after a month.
> 
> Thank you for the kudos, the subscriptions and the bookmark, it makes me really happy ❤  
> I hope you like this chapter as well.
> 
> Good reading :)

Kabuto had woken up earlier than he expected. He knew he did not had slept as much as he should, but it was nothing he could not handle well. The few hours of sleep he had were enough to make his worries disappear for at least some time. Also, he started to think he should not worry too much about Orochimaru’s presence, even if his mind said the opposite. If Naruto, the Hokage, the figure with most influence and responsibilities in the Village, allowed Orochimaru to come to see him, Kabuto should not worry, although he still did a little. But after all, he knew he would have to talk to the Sannin sooner or later.

Getting out of his room already in his Orphanage black clothes, he headed to the main room, where he saw it was still a little dark outside. He was about to light a lamp when he decided not to because it could wake those who were sleeping next to the place. Standing in the place, he opened the blurred window, feeling it was cold and foggy outside, and that almost made his glasses become blurry as well. It probably was going to be a very cloudy day, and the color of the sky indicated it would rain. And before he even turned around to start his daily routine, he felt Orochimaru standing in the same room, watching him.

“Apparently you still wake up before you should.” Kabuto said, venomous like poison, and that only made the older man laugh slightly.

“Impertinent as always.” Kabuto smirked a little, turning to face the man.

He saw Orochimaru on the door, next to the corridor, and even in the low light of the sun slowly rising, Kabuto could see his features. He looked calm, unlike the younger remembered ever seeing him. Crossing his arms, Kabuto leaned against the window. Both men looked deeply at each other’s eyes, trying to figure what the other was thinking and their intentions.

“We have to talk.” Kabuto said some minutes later. “After Urushi wakes up, I will ask him to take care of things, so we can go for a walk and talk.”

“Yamato will probably try to come with us.” He said in a low voice. “I do not think he will do anything, but I would like some privacy.”

“I agree.” He spoke in the same tone. They stayed in silence for some time, staring intensely at each other.

Kabuto, then, approached, standing next to Orochimaru, still looking into his eyes. He analyzed the man’s expression, looking for any sign of that wicked and heartless personality he had witnessed years before. And he found nothing. Orochimaru was surprisingly unruffled. Kabuto then lead his fingers to the pale skin of his cheeks, making the raven-haired man look at his hand instead of his eyes. It made Kabuto feel a strange desire to touch every inch of skin his fingers could reach, and he moved his hand slowly through Orochimaru’s face. The Sannin looked back at him, with only a hint of a smile on his lips, and anyone would let it pass unnoticed. But not Kabuto.

He continued what he was doing, letting his hands touch every part of the pale skin in front of him like it was something usual for him to do. His fingers passed through the man’s long neck, travelling down until he reached the other’s chest. He looked up at the Sannin’s face again, and the older just touched his face. And at that moment, Kabuto found himself yearning to kiss the man. But, when he was about to do it, they heard footsteps. Separating from each other, they saw Urushi enter the room, looking like he had just woken up.

“Kabuto, it is almost time to wake the children.” He said, in a nearly childish way, and went away again.

Kabuto pushed his glasses slightly on his nose and decided to follow Urushi. That way, he could run away from his conflicting feelings towards Orochimaru. But before leaving, he looked at the man.

“I have to go now. I will talk to you later.”

—————X—————

Almost at nine in the morning, all the children were already awake and eating their breakfast. Kabuto had made the adults’ meal earlier alongside Urushi, and it was probably one of the most uncomfortable things he had ever done. When the four of them were eating, the silence was so weird he wanted to choke. But in the end, he was glad it ended quickly, since none of them ate that much. Then, both Orochimaru and Yamato went outside, the latter wanting to avoid any unusual situation in the Orphanage, especially with the kids. And after helping Kabuto cleaning, Urushi had gone to wake the children.

While the orphans were eating, Kabuto decided to sit on a table by Urushi’s side, in order to talk to him.

“Urushi, can I ask for a favor?” He requested, making Urushi look at him curious, but nodding positively. “Can you take care of things for a while? I have to talk to him.”

“Are you sure about that?” Urushi had already opted to believe in what Yamato told him the day before. But also, even if he trusted Kabuto more than he trusted Orochimaru, he wanted to know if this trust was worth it. He wanted to believe that both men deserved the trust he and Yamato were giving them.

“I am.” He assured him with a small and simple smile on his face. “You do not have to worry, Yamato will probably go with us.”

Urushi shook his head again. _There is no need to worry…,_ he said to himself, exteriorizing his thoughts by saying “I believe you, Kabuto.”

That particular phrase made Kabuto smile softly at the man, glad that Urushi wanted to trust him despite everything he knew Kabuto had done. He never actually had a doubt that Urushi would always try to believe him, but he was aware that there were things he should not tell his brother.

“Thank you, Urushi.” The silver-haired man said, getting up and ready to leave. “I will go now. I should be back in a few hours.”

Urushi agreed and assured Kabuto that everything was going to be alright. And with that settled in his mind, Kabuto got out of the house.

Outside, he met the cloudy and dark gray sky, heavy as if it could rain at any moment. He walked a little, seeing both Orochimaru and Yamato close to some trees. When he was close enough, he saw the snake Sannin stare directly at him. Yamato then went up to the branches, leaving the two men in only each other’s presence. And so, they started walking slowly through the trees, in silence.

No words were exchanged for a few minutes, and unlike both thought it would happen, it was not a strange silence. It was somehow comforting. But Kabuto concluded he should speak. And he went straight to the point

“Why are you here?” He said firmly.

“I already told you, Kabuto. But if you want to believe me or not, that is your choice.”

“You never gave me a choice.” The younger man answered sharply, making Orochimaru laugh bitterly at him.

“Do not lie to yourself.” He looked straight in to Kabuto’s eyes, and the latter could easily say that the Sannin was not happy with what was said. “I already admitted that I manipulated you when we first started to work together, but after that, Kabuto, you showed to be as good a manipulator as I am.”

Kabuto closed his fists. He knew this was true. Although he convinced others that it all had been Orochimaru’s fault, he could not lie to himself. Because he knew that the older man gave many opportunities for Kabuto to leave him, to betray him, to do whatever he wanted. And he never did.

“I did not expect you to be so defensive with me. You were the one who asked to talk to me, and I did not come here to fight you, Kabuto.” Orochimaru looked at him more suavely this time, making Kabuto let his guard down.

They started walking beside each other in silence again, apparently a bit more civilized this time. Yamato, up in the branches, thanked them for solving this problem without any interference. And seeing them discuss like that only made him sure of how tense must have been their relationship back then.

“So, how are things in Otogakure?” Kabuto decided to ask after some time, calming down a little, because he have not heard anything about the man for the past decade.

“Better than I thought it would be. The Village is slowly rising, and even if I wanted it to happen a little faster, I like how it is.” Orochimaru said and looked at the younger as he continued. “But it is rather boring.”

“Why is it boring?” The statement surprised Kabuto, so he had to ask.

“There is no enjoyment and satisfaction if everyone does things exactly like you tell them to.” He looked at the trees in front of them, making the other man confused. And the Sannin laughed a bit. “No one questions my motives and my methods with the frequency you did, Kabuto. And when they decide to contest me, it is not because they care, it is because they do not want to do what I said. No one argue with me like you still do. They are not like you.”

Kabuto looked at him questioning, trying to understand the reason behind those words, even if he already had some suspicions about what they meant. After they followed different ways, Kabuto started to believe Orochimaru always thought of him just like any other subordinate. And hearing him say those things only made him confused, especially after the man kissed him a month ago.

“You were never afraid of me and apparently still is not, Kabuto. And you always said the right thing in the right moment. That is the reason why I put you in such a privileged position as my right arm. You always were a challenge to me.”

Kabuto now knew what Orochimaru intended by that. He knew that behind those words, the man was discreetly saying he missed Kabuto’s presence by his side. For both good and bad days. Both remembered very well of the times when Orochimaru’s arms were damaged, and they knew Kabuto was the only one who could help without giving up or asking for anything in return. And thinking of it, Kabuto found out that the Sannin would gladly appreciate his company in the Sound.

They continued to wander quietly on the middle of the trees. The only noises heard were of some birds and of Yamato moving on the trees. Orochimaru was a bit irritated by the man above them, but, at the same time, he was glad the Anbu gave them some privacy even when they were about to fight. And soon Kabuto broke the inconvenient silence another time.

“Back in time, when we still were together, you once told me that we only really value things and recognize their importance when we lose them.” He said seriously, looking at Orochimaru. “Does it also applies to me?”

“You should not ask questions which you already know the answer, Kabuto. It is not like you to ask such dumb things.” He smiled teasingly, and it only confirmed Kabuto’s thoughts, bringing a satisfied little smile to his face. _You never really lost me,_ Kabuto thought about saying, but preferred not to. His mind was facing an incredible contradiction, and he would not say anything he was not a hundred percent sure.

After seeing the discreet look on the younger one’s face, Orochimaru found out he was slowly starting to regain the man’s trust. The defensive way Kabuto received him the first day and some minutes ago was just one of the masks he used to wear, and Orochimaru knew that. Even if he could not say exactly what Kabuto was thinking, he knew the man well enough to understand his actions. But he wanted Kabuto to destroy any kind of masks he could wear in his presence, because he wanted to know the real Kabuto. He wanted to know if Kabuto was okay after so many years. And he wanted to know how much Kabuto has changed, how far his changes had gone, not only in his physical appearance but also his thoughts, his goals. But he could not rush things. Not now that Kabuto was starting to believe him again.

“Why did you decided to visit me after so many years?” Kabuto asked the same question again, in a lighter tone and with less threats in his voice. This way, maybe he could earn a response.

“I sometimes thought about you, wondering how you were, but it was never more than that.” Orochimaru started speaking, the memories of a particular day taking over his mind. “But one day, my son asked me if there was anyone I truly cared about.”

“What did you say?” Kabuto was curious and surprised, wanting to know the response.

“I did not answer him.” He was serious now. “That was when I started to think about you more often. And I decided to come to see you.”

_I kept thinking about you, wondering if everything was alright, even knowing you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. I kept thinking about your company. About how I missed you…,_ the older thought on his own mind, looking at Kabuto.

Kabuto was about to say something again when his words were interrupted by a loud thunder in the dark sky, followed by raindrops suddenly falling. They knew it would rain soon, but it was kind of unexpected that the rain would start so abruptly.

“We should go back.” Orochimaru said, already turning to walk their way back to the Orphanage. And, so they did, not bothering to run from the water pouring nor say any more words.

—————X—————

In his room, at night, Kabuto was sitting on his chair working again with the Orphanage papers after taking a shower because of the rain. Everyone was probably sleeping, although it was not as late as he thought it was. The sound of the rain falling outside could easily disturb him and make him stop what he was doing, but somehow it did not. It was raining hard since earlier, and since then, Orochimaru was alone in his room. Kabuto wanted to ask why but have not had the time to do so, and he was tired enough to think about it at the time. There were still some letters to verify, and even if he thought it would not take too long, he had to finish his work.

He was reading the papers, focusing on the words and the information it contained so he could later write the important parts and discuss with Urushi afterwards. But just like the last night, he felt Orochimaru close to his room, followed by the sound of his door opening and closing as smoothly as the day before.

“You should knock first.” Kabuto said, not looking at the man because of his labor. And he only heard the Sannin giggle a little, murmuring something Kabuto could not understand, probably a playful offense that would not make the man react anyway. “Why did you stay in your room all day?”

“Wanted to avoid awkward situations. I did not come here for that.”

Kabuto did not say anything after it, only returning his attention to what he was doing. He tried to concentrate but the man in his room made it almost impossible, walking slowly in the place as if looking for something and making the younger want to look at him every time. And it only got harder for Kabuto to concentrate when he felt Orochimaru’s long hands slide through his shoulders. The fingers squeezed the flesh of his upper back a little too hard, making Kabuto gasp in pain.

“You are tense, Kabuto. Your muscles are harder than normal, and you seem to be in pain.” He squeezed again, but only a bit gently. “Are you taking care of yourself?”

“Yes, I am.” The answer did not seem to convince Orochimaru, and so he did the same thing again, receiving just another groan in response. “Just a little tired. I will use my chakra before sleeping.”

“You should not push yourself over the edge at this time. There is no need for it.” Kabuto chuckled a bit at the statement, knowing it was true.

He still tried to stay focused on the letters, but failed again, feeling Orochimaru’s fingers touching his shoulders and caressing his neck. The nails scratched the skin of his nape softly, and the older man grabbed the tie from Kabuto’s hair, letting it fall on his shoulders. He started to comb the silver locks with his fingers, making Kabuto confused with the unusual act. And not long after, Kabuto let go of the papers he was holding and got up, facing Orochimaru and looking into his eyes. When he did, the only candle lighting the room ended, leaving them in almost complete darkness, as if giving them privacy. And Kabuto could finish his work later.

Orochimaru approached, putting both his hands on the desk behind Kabuto and cornering the younger against it. He stayed still, waiting for Kabuto to decide what to do. Therefore, the silver-haired man guided both his hands to the other’s face, tracing the long fingers on his lips. Then, moving one hand to Orochimaru’s nape, Kabuto touched their lips, kissing the man with a desire he did not know he was holding. And he panted softly when he felt Orochimaru kissing him back, moving one of his hands to rest on Kabuto’s waist, pressing their bodies together.

With one of his hands moving through Orochimaru’s neck, Kabuto deepened the kiss as both groaned in satisfaction, and, for Kabuto’s surprise, Orochimaru was the one to finish it. He separated from Kabuto only a few inches, looking seductively at his eyes, and before Kabuto even had the chance to say anything, his lips were taken again in an even more heated kiss. And he just let out a low moan as he felt long fingers slide into his robe, opening the front of it and touching his warm skin.

Both men refused to stop kissing each other, but when it was necessary to breathe, Orochimaru moved his lips to the other’s neck, kissing and biting while holding a handful of silver strands. Kabuto was already gasping, the feeling of the man’s sharp teeth against his skin made him almost delirious. Yet, at the same time, he knew exactly what was happening. And even if he was tired, he did not want to stop. He wanted more.

The Sannin started to lower the touches, sliding his tongue onto Kabuto’s pale and scaly skin, kissing some parts of his body while he felt the younger man tremble only a little under his touch. It amazed him how Kabuto was slowly giving in, but he also knew that the man would try his best to control the situation. _Like he always does_. But that really did not matter at the time. Orochimaru was too focused on Kabuto’s reactions to his touches to even care about it. And so he continued.

Kabuto moaned when Orochimaru bit his chest while grabbing his already half hard crotch over his simple, black trousers, making a heat come up to his face. He was no longer touching Orochimaru. His hands grabbed the desk as the man got on his knees in front of him, getting his mouth on Kabuto’s hard-on still inside the clothing and looking up with half open eyes.

“Oh, fuck…” He moaned again, in a low tone, when Orochimaru put his fingers inside his pants, slowly removing it.

The older man’s hand held his member, stroking it as he started to bite the inner part of firm thighs. Orochimaru smirked to himself seeing the reactions he received from Kabuto, and he appreciated it more than he thought he would. When it comes to Kabuto, everything was even better. But soon he decided to finish the teasing, licking the erection, wrapping his tongue around it and earning another low whimper from Kabuto. Going further, Orochimaru chose to use all of his mouth, teasing Kabuto’s testicles while engulfing his dick. And Kabuto threw his head back slightly, placing both his hands on ebony hair, fondling it while he moaned quietly.

Orochimaru continued, feeling Kabuto getting even more aroused. When the grip on his hair tightened, he grabbed Kabuto’s hands, holding them against the desk and taking his mouth away from the member. He slid his tongue on Kabuto’s stomach, then his chest, his neck, and, after grabbing his hair another time and lifting his head, Orochimaru licked his jaw. He looked at Kabuto’s eyes again, kissing him right after. Letting go of his hand, Orochimaru moved his own into the man’s robe, making it fall along with the other clothes. And so, he put his arm around Kabuto’s waist, his naked skin against the Sannin’s clothing.

He guided Kabuto to the small bed in the latter’s room, separating their lips and placing a hand on his chest, pushing the younger’s body lightly and letting him against the mattress. Orochimaru moved away, making Kabuto sit on the bed so he could see where the man was going. With his back to Kabuto, the Sannin slowly undid the knot that held his own clothes, sliding through his pale tattooed arms and letting fall next to Kabuto’s vestments on the floor. He looked over his shoulder, teasingly, removing the rest of his clothing. In the end, he loosened his hair, approaching again and kissing an amazed Kabuto while placing himself between the man’s legs.

Kabuto had already accepted the role he would play at the time, and he could not complain. Not when Orochimaru put his fingers inside Kabuto’s mouth and the other hand pressed his thigh in the sheets. It did not take long until he felt the man’s digits touch his entrance, entering one by one slowly, seductively like Orochimaru had been doing since the beginning. And Kabuto groaned a bit more audibly when the fingers started to move inside him, in and out, searching for his sweet spot at every stroke.

“A-Ah…” Kabuto moaned while looking straight into Orochimaru’s eyes, in an attempt to gain some reaction from the man. He wanted the movements to become harder, but he would not ask it. He wanted to control the situation. Because he liked when they played for control, so he would try to take over it in his own way.

He moaned again and clenched his muscles around Orochimaru’s fingers, biting his lip and grabbing the sheets while spreading his legs and placing them on the other’s waist. Orochimaru sighed at it, moving his fingers harder and receiving more sounds from the younger. But he thought better, taking away his digits and grabbing Kabuto’s both thighs, uniting their bodies and their mouths. He grinded his hips against Kabuto’s, making the younger sigh between the kisses, almost needy to feel more. Finishing his teasing, Orochimaru separated them and settled himself in the middle of Kabuto’s legs, inserting his own member inside the body bellow him and waiting for Kabuto to get used to the invasion. And when Kabuto did, Orochimaru moved his hips precisely, earning an almost too loud moan in response.

Kabuto wanted to moan louder than he was doing, and although the sound of the rain muffled his noises, he knew he could not. They were not alone in the house, and they should not even do what they were doing. But for him, it felt so good having Orochimaru inside of him, thrusting in a hard pace while they groaned quietly together with such pleasure. So good he could not care about what he should or not be doing, although he did bother to not make sounds too loud. And he also knew Orochimaru felt the same, because he would not like if someone interrupted them, so they both did the possible to not wake anyone.

With an especially hard thrust on his prostate, Kabuto bit his own hand to avoid screaming in pleasure. Closing his eyes for a while, he let his head sink in the pillows while he held the cushions in his other hand, squeezing it into his fingers.

“You are enjoying this more than you should, are not you?” Orochimaru provoked, and Kabuto opened his eyes slightly, grabbing the man’s hair and kissing him hard while panting.

With little force he was able to get himself upon Orochimaru, separating their lips as he put his hands on the Sannin’s chest, preventing him from getting up. The black-haired man smirked with the younger’s action, resting both hands on narrow hips. Kabuto started to move, feeling his prostate being stimulated more precisely than before and making his head fall back a little, letting out long pleasant moans. He had to bit his lip forcefully when Orochimaru started to thrust up against him, holding his hips firmly while Kabuto closed his fists. But he knew that this moment on top would not last long, since his back still ached a little. And as if reading Kabuto’s mind, Orochimaru sat up and grabbed his hair, kissing him once more before getting upon him again.

Kabuto moved his hands to the elder’s back, letting his nails scratch the skin as he felt his pleasure increasing. But when he was scratching hard enough to draw blood, Orochimaru stopped kissing him, grabbing his wrists and holding them against the bed, hard, but not enough to bruise. And Kabuto closed his eyes, moaning in delight as the hard thrusts made him shiver.

Kneeling on the bed, Orochimaru released Kabuto’s hands and held his hips as he moved, making Kabuto feel his orgasm slowly coming.

“Harder.” He asked, contracting his entrance in order to excite the Sannin, and received a moan in return. And Orochimaru did what he was asked, hitting Kabuto’s spot and making him close his eyes.

Feeling his high reaching him, Kabuto arched his back, whining and gripping the sheets. And he came on his stomach, the pleasure hitting him hard. His low, genuine, pleasing noises made Orochimaru reach his orgasm as well, with his hands tightening on the other’s hips as he moaned and filled Kabuto with his seed. He kept thrusting for a while, in a slow pace that had both panting, and when he decided it was enough, he pulled away, laying down and licking Kabuto’s belly to clean his skin. And the younger sighed, letting both his arms rest on the sides of his head, tiredly.

Orochimaru kept kissing Kabuto’s skin, slowly, while he started to think he should leave the room and go back to his own. He was aware that even if they just had sex, the place was still an Orphanage, and Urushi and Yamato were in the house. Not that he cared, he actually did not, but he knew that Kabuto did. Especially about Urushi. And so, leaving a little kiss on Kabuto’s lips, he got up of the bed. Kabuto rolled to the side, ready to sleep, but curious about what Orochimaru would do.

“You can sleep here.” Kabuto said a little unsure when he saw Orochimaru picking up his clothes from the floor, understanding what the older thought but not really sure if the man wanted to stay in the room. He was not even sure if he himself wanted the Sannin to stay.

Smiling unnoticeably, Orochimaru set the clothes from both on the chair Kabuto was working earlier and went back to bed, lying next to Kabuto, who had his back at Orochimaru’s. The silver-haired man took off his glasses, placing them in the nightstand and pulling up some covers for them. The situation was rather uncomfortable, because none of them knew what to say or do, and the fact that they had their backs at each other was not helping.

Kabuto was confused, not knowing what to do to ease the situation. He looked over his shoulder to see if Orochimaru was sleeping, and even if the man was quiet, Kabuto knew he was probably still awake. He thought about what happened earlier in the forest, about how he showed to be so unsatisfied with the way his relationship with Orochimaru had been. And he also thought about how good the older made him feel not an hour before, how Kabuto himself felt relaxed after his orgasm and how he did not want to let Orochimaru go away. But soon he got tired of thinking. If he stayed making his mind work like this at that moment in the night, he knew he would have a headache and probably would not get any sleep. So, after staring at the window in front of him and feeling a little cold from the weather, he just decided to do what his instincts told him to. He just turned to Orochimaru, placing one of his arms in the man’s waist, hugging him and letting his chest touch the other man’s back. When he did, starting to relax his body and mind, he heard a soft laugh come from Orochimaru’s lips.

“You really are unpredictable sometimes, Kabuto.” The man said softly, almost as if he was already sleeping, but Kabuto knew better. So, he just laughed back at him, tightening his hold only a little. He did not know why he had done it, but he could say that, even slightly, he was afraid of Orochimaru leaving after what they did. So, he only held the man, not even knowing if the latter was appreciating it.

But then, to his surprise, he felt Orochimaru’s hand held his as he relaxed in Kabuto's arms as well, like he was waiting for it so he could sleep. That made Kabuto smile a little, resting his head in the pillow and feeling long dark strands of hair on his face. And just like that, both men fell asleep calmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will post the final chapter probably next month, but it will depend on my days in College and if my other little stories will be finished until then.
> 
> I really hope you liked this chapter :D  
> Thank you for reading ❤❤


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii ❤  
> I was going to update only Sunday, but it is my birthday in the 5th and I probably will not have time to update since my parents and my sister will come to my city for her to make an University test. Also, I have to study because I have a lot of tests next week and the next, and I am a little demotivated since Brasil's president is decreasing investment in Science and because the researcher I wanted to accompany at the laboratory is not answering me, but life goes on, we do what we can.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like this final chapter :)

The sound of the rain and the cold in his bed woke Kabuto up, as early as the day before. Without his glasses, he could not see anything clearly in his room, but he felt alone in his bed when he searched for the man who slept with him last night. Sighing a little, he got up and decided to go to his bathroom and take a shower, in need to clean himself.

When he entered the bathroom, he looked to the mirror and saw briefly how his chest and his neck were bruised from Orochimaru’s bites. He traced his fingers in the aching skin, not seeing clearly how bad it was because of the lack of his glasses. In opposition to what he did with the pain on his back, he preferred to leave the marks on his flesh instead of healing them. He wanted to make sure the Sannin would see the bruises so Kabuto could mark his pale skin in the same purple color. And smirking a little at the thought of marking Orochimaru, he went in to the shower.

Getting out of the place when he finished, he started to dry his hair with one towel. He then dressed up in his black clothes and put on his glasses, and after seeing the messy sheets, he decided to exchange the tissues. When he was done, he went out of his room. Passing through the corridor, he saw Orochimaru’s bedroom, and without thinking twice, he opened the door. But, on the contrary of what he was expecting, the place was empty and it looked like the man have not even laid in his own bed. So, he closed the door and walked to the main room, just like the other early mornings.

 Stepping into the place, he saw Orochimaru standing in the open door, dressed in dark colored clothes, staring at the few raindrops. Kabuto approached smoothly, standing by his side in silence. If he did not know Orochimaru that much, Kabuto would say that the man have not even realized that he was there, right by his side. And even in silence, it was pleasant to stay that way, only in their own presence as if nothing could interrupt them.

Kabuto then started to think that they were slowly reconstructing their relationship in the best way they could, and for his own surprise, he was starting to believe that, even if the Sannin still was an eccentric person who liked to control things – not that different from himself, but he would not admit –, he had somehow changed a bit. Kabuto liked it, because that way he was certain he could trust the man without feeling guilty. And he liked even more to know that the man had changed enough to put his pride aside and admit, even slightly, that he missed Kabuto. Both knew that they missed their company, because they were the only ones who could truly understand each other.

Wanting to stay by Orochimaru’s side a little longer, Kabuto sighed in light satisfaction. The man was so quiet, his face holding a little and gentle smile, nothing like Kabuto was used to. And if Orochimaru stayed like that, Kabuto could spend his entire day like that, by his side in silence. But he could not stay there, he had to arrange things for when Urushi, Yamato and the kids got up.

“I have to go.” He said, but before he left, he got closer to Orochimaru, kissing him sweetly and slowly. It was a soft kiss, only a touch of lips that lasted less time than both wanted to. Separating their lips, the older man looked at Kabuto kindly, nodding positively. So Kabuto walked inside the house, getting ready for when everyone woke up.

—————X—————

Sitting in the kitchen table with Yamato, Orochimaru played with a little white snake on his fingers, the same one he sent to Kabuto a month ago. He alternated between watching Yamato trying to sharpen some wooden kunais he made earlier and watching trough the window the children running outside in the recent dry grass. The rain had stopped just a little after Kabuto left to wake the others up in the morning. And since Kabuto was also responsible for the Orphanage, Orochimaru knew that the younger was with Urushi by the front door, keeping an eye on the kids in case of something happening.

The Sannin let the snake wrap around his fingers, slowly curling on the knuckles while tightening slightly. It made Orochimaru smile a little. That snake was one of those he liked the most. She reminded him of Kabuto, because she was as loyal as the silver-haired man once used to be. But suddenly he turned his attention to the children outside, just like Yamato did after hearing a loud noise. Apparently, two kids got hurt somehow while running in a not so dry part of grass, and soon Kabuto appeared and kneeled to superficially heal both of them as Urushi called for the others to get inside to avoid another injury.

Orochimaru watched Kabuto from afar, sensing how carefully he helped the two boys. Kabuto looked like he was glad with what he was doing, although he seemed a bit annoyed by the two being so carefree while running. Knowing Kabuto, Orochimaru was aware that he probably advised them ten times before letting them out. Thinking about it, Orochimaru knew that Kabuto belonged to the place, he was born for it. He started to see how much Kabuto changed and discovered himself in the Orphanage. And he liked it.

Looking at the snake man, Yamato found extremely weird to see him smiling discreetly as he watched Kabuto. The Anbu did not have to think much to understand why Orochimaru stared at him like that. It was when he decided they should not worry about Orochimaru being with Kabuto. The Sannin looked at his ex-right-hand man with more than just admiration in his once cold eyes. And having this in mind, Yamato let himself rest in his chair for the first time in a while, feeling himself relaxing for some time.

“Are you a friend of Father?” Both men heard a soft voice saying, and Orochimaru looked at his side, seeing two girls holding hands standing in the kitchen door.

“I am. An old friend.” Orochimaru answered after understanding that ‘Father’ meant ‘Kabuto’.

“Why are your eyes like Father’s?” The other girl asked, curious after staring at the man.

“That is a long story.” He smiled nostalgically, but at the same time a little bitterly as well. “I think he can tell you this story better than I would ever do.”

The two kids were about to say something more when Kabuto appeared, holding one boy in his arms as he held the other’s hand. He gestured the girls to go back to the main room, where all the others were. Both kids apologized for disobeying Urushi and went back. The Sannin looked at Kabuto like he was doing when the younger was outside, and Kabuto stared back tenderly at him, smiling gently before leaving the room. _Mitsuki would enjoy meeting him,_ Orochimaru thought briefly after seeing Kabuto with the kids. _He would be a great father…_

Again, Yamato sighed in relief, already accepting that both men did not offered any damage to Konoha at the time. Not when they looked like an old divorced couple trying to get back together. So he decided to write a report to the Hokage later, informing that there was nothing to worry about although he knew Naruto would send Kakashi anyway.

—————X—————

In his room, just like the other nights, Kabuto had already finished his work. He did not have much to do since the most part he made the last day. Only a few hours were enough for him to read the rest of the papers and write important things. He thought about handing the notes to Urushi to ask for some advices but decided to do it the next day. His brother was tired, even more than Kabuto himself, and probably sleeping, so he would wait for tomorrow. But for Kabuto, it was still early to sleep and since that particular night was the last one Orochimaru would be with him, he thought about going to the man’s room.

After organizing his desk, he turned off the only candle lighting the place and left. He walked carefully thus he would not make any unnecessary noise and opened the door. He laughed slightly at himself for entering without knocking, exactly how he said Orochimaru should not do before entering his room the night before. So, he just got inside the place and locked the door behind him.

“What a nice surprise, Kabuto.” The Sannin teased, moving away from the window where he was to face Kabuto. “I was starting to think I would have to go to your bedroom again.”

Orochimaru looked like he had just gotten out of the shower, his long dark hair still only a little wet from it. Kabuto saw the little snake in the other’s hand, crawling almost up to his arm inside the dark clothes as he approximated. When he was close enough, he put his hand on Kabuto’s shoulder, letting the snake slowly creep until she reached the pale neck. She tightened slightly on the skin, but not even with enough force to cause any discomfort since she was really small.

“She likes you.” Orochimaru said, looking at the animal and using her proximity to Kabuto’s neck as an excuse to touch his bruised skin, tracing his nails and scratching him slightly. “Probably because she is a little like you.”

“Does she like to test you?” Kabuto talked back, making Orochimaru smirk at him.

“She is not as insolent as you, Kabuto. You always abused the liberty I gave you.” He got the snake back in to his hand, caressing her with his fingers as he let his voice out in low tones, seductively. “But she respects me, just like you did once, always loyal to me.”

“Is there anything else she does like me?” He teased again, in the same way Orochimaru did, making him laugh temptingly.

“She is as smooth as you when you spied for me. Unpredictable sometimes.” The Sannin got his lips close to Kabuto’s, whispering the last words. “And just like you, she tries to control me.”

Kabuto knew that game. But somewhere in his own mind, he knew that it was not just a game of pride and control. It was something more, and Kabuto wanted more of it, but would not give in until he made sure he was stepping in safe place.

Almost sensing Kabuto’s thoughts, Orochimaru moved away, smirking while he walked to the window again, letting the snake go away like he let Kabuto years ago. He then walked closer to his bed and his desk, thinking about what he should do next. He traced his fingers on the mattress, trying to find a way to persuade Kabuto, because if the younger was hard to read, he was even harder to give in. Facing him again, he decided to give Kabuto some control, just like the man wanted.

“Do you think you can handle me, Kabuto?” He asked, untying his robe and letting it fall on the floor. That surprised Kabuto enough to let him out of words. “You should answer questions made to you.”

“You know I can.” Kabuto answered after staring at the lean body, making Orochimaru lick his lips. The silver-haired man walked closer, putting his hands on the other man’s chest and pushing him until his back touched the wall near the desk and their bodies pressed together. And then, he kissed the man’s lips.

Orochimaru moved one of his hands to the man’s neck, kissing him back with passion and urge as Kabuto slide his hands through his skin. Using both hands, he opened Kabuto’s black robe, taking it from his body and spreading long fingers on his chest, feeling the warm skin under his palms. And if he did not have his elevated self-control, he would have moaned in frustration when Kabuto broke the kiss.

With his lips brushing against the Sannin’s, Kabuto got one hand inside the elder’s pants, caressing his member in expectation of getting him hard. The act made Orochimaru smirk teasingly and try to kiss Kabuto again, but the latter prevented him from doing it by holding his neck against the wall, making Orochimaru surprised.

“What a kinky bastard…” He whispered as his smile widened. He felt Kabuto tightening the hand grip on both his crotch and collar, earning an almost painful _and_ soft moan in return while Orochimaru let his head back against the wall. And Kabuto took advantage of it, releasing his neck and starting to kiss and bite it, aiming to see the color of the marks he would leave.

Feeling himself getting hard, Orochimaru gripped the light hair, purposely sighing in Kabuto’s ear to tease him. In response, the man bit his neck hard, the skin bruising almost immediately with the force. It made Orochimaru bite his lip, so he would not moan for that specific reason. He was too proud to accept the fact that Kabuto could _really_ handle him this well, although he knew he wanted it. Therefore, he tried to contain himself, but he did not realize that his other hand grabbed the younger’s shoulder hard, denouncing how affected he was by the touches. And Kabuto smirked when he felt his own hair falling on his back, indicating that Orochimaru had ripped the hair tie.

Kabuto, then, turned the man’s body, getting his chest against Orochimaru’s back and pressing him on the wall. The Sannin could feel all of Kabuto’s front that way, specially the hardness in his pants. Kabuto started to move his hand faster inside the man's cloth and he moved his hips against the other, finally making Orochimaru give in, moaning a bit and making Kabuto smirk. And with his other hand, the younger turned the man’s face and kissed him passionately, both gasping at their touches.

Getting his hand out of Orochimaru’s trousers, Kabuto broke the kiss again. He touched dark strands of hair and put them aside, starting to kiss the other’s nape and slowly getting down to his shoulder blades and spine, feeling Orochimaru shiver slightly at the touch. Kabuto held his waist and positioned the taller body on the desk, kissing his neck while doing it. He then started to touch Orochimaru’s back again, kissing him down and caressing his sides with big hands. His silver hair slide through the skin as he got even lower, making Orochimaru shudder with the sensation. And when he reached the man’s lower back, he kissed all the way, licking and biting the pale flesh.

Orochimaru already suspected what Kabuto would do, and he closed his fists in anticipation, waiting for it. He felt the other man take off the rest of the clothes, starting to touch his thighs and his ass with firm fingers, applying enough pressure on the right places and bringing some satisfaction to the Sannin. And then, he felt Kabuto’s long tongue slide through his entrance, teasing him and making him groan in pleasure.

Kabuto did not wait until he got any other reaction from Orochimaru. He just let his tongue get inside his body slowly, as his hand went again to the elder’s sex, stroking it while he moved his tongue, touching his insides as if looking for his prostate. He earned such pleasured low moans from the man, so good he wanted to hear even more. So he continued, and Orochimaru was starting to moan in a bit louder tone, but not enough for them to worry.

The older man had his nails almost piercing the skin of his palm, and he closed his eyes feeling the pleasure increasing. Kabuto fastened his hand movements again, feeling more shivers running down Orochimaru’s spine. But he knew that both of them would not like to finish things too rapidly, thus when he felt he was getting too much reactions, he stopped, getting up behind the older. And Orochimaru was panting from the act, now looking at Kabuto over his shoulder.

Turning around, he grabbed Kabuto by his pants for their chests to touch and kissed him while taking the fabric off. The kiss held the lust of the moment in combination with the feelings they did not admitted easily they had, and it made every touch even better. Embracing the slim waist, Kabuto guided him to the bed, getting upon the body and between pale legs, only stopping the kisses when they needed air.

Kabuto thought they had enough foreplay, so he got on his knees, holding both Orochimaru’s thighs and placing them on his waist. He directed his own member to the Sannin’s entrance, letting it in slowly as he caressed his hips. When he was fully inside, he laid again, taking Orochimaru’s mouth with his own. The man groaned slightly in Kabuto’s lips, and the younger then knew he could move, thrusting one time to make sure it was alright, making him moan.

Although he gave Kabuto all the control of the situation, Orochimaru knew a part of him wanted to regain it. But he did not do anything much, just letting his head rest in the pillows while he felt Kabuto moving inside him. He could enjoy not being in control for once, appreciating every second of lust while he appraised how good Kabuto was. And when Kabuto found his sweet spot and started to stimulate the place, he moaned again with the feeling, gripping the sheets and soon releasing them.

He slid his big hands through Kabuto’s back until he reached his ass, squeezing the flesh in his fingers and forcing Kabuto even harder into himself. The younger groaned, separating his face from the other’s and letting his hands on the sheets, supporting his weight. He adjusted himself slightly so he could do exactly what Orochimaru silently asked, and he thrusted again. Hard. And Orochimaru thrown his head back, whimpering with closed eyes. However, Kabuto removed his member, making Orochimaru question himself why.

“Turn around.” Kabuto asked with voice so low he wondered if the other man had heard him. But he was sure of it when the Sannin did what asked without even questioning, accommodating in between the pillows. And Kabuto held his hips, rising them and getting inside of him again, moving hard like he was already doing before.

 “Yes, Kabuto.” He moaned again, grabbing the pillow while feeling Kabuto’s hold tightening on his hips. Both knew they were close to the limit. “Oh, fuck, do not stop.”

The younger moaned at the sight of Orochimaru looking at him over his shoulder with such a desirable expression while grabbing the sheets. His black hair and tattoos contrasted amazingly with the white skin, making Kabuto gasp at the view. And so, Kabuto released his hips, passing his hands fully on the man’s back and kissing the skin right after. He never knew he wanted to see Orochimaru like that until he did. Because of it, he slid one arm around his waist, bringing the man up so they touched their skins together, kneeling on the mattress.

With his other hand, Kabuto held Orochimaru’s neck again, making the man lay his head on the shoulder behind him and hold the younger's wrist while whimpering. Kabuto, feeling his limit getting closer, was about to masturbate the Sannin again in order of them to come together, but felt a hand stopping him.

“No, just… Fuck me, Kabuto…” The younger rapidly complied, then moved both hands again to the other’s hips, holding Orochimaru in place as he thrusted hard, biting his shoulder. Orochimaru started to scratch Kabuto’s forearms while moaning in pleasure, his chest rising and falling with his heavy breathing. He felt his orgasm taking over him not long after, shaking slightly on Kabuto’s arms as he dirtied the sheets. Kabuto followed right after, almost at the same time, moaning the elder’s name softly in his ear as he trembled a bit, coming inside him. And Kabuto just held the man against his body as both delighted their most intimate pleasure. But somehow, he was afraid Orochimaru would try to go away like the last night, even if they were in the Sannin’s room and the latter did not show any sign of leaving.

Kabuto rested his head on Orochimaru’s neck, waiting for him and the man to regain their breaths. When they were finally breathing normally, Kabuto got out of the man’s body and saw him lazily lay in bed, slowly and tiredly. The fear of him leaving faded in this moment. The younger himself was also tired, so he just took off his glasses, placing them on the desk, and laid by Orochimaru’s side as he pulled some covers. Kabuto touched his face, taking his ebony hair away from his eyes and caressing his skin. The slightly taller man looked at him with half open eyes and smiled discreetly.

“I told you I could handle you.” Kabuto would not be himself if he missed the chance to say something like that. And it made Orochimaru chuckle, not believing what he just heard.

“Go to sleep, _brat._ ” Kabuto laughed at the name, resting an arm on the pale body beside him and choosing to rest. And they slept fast, even faster than the night before.

—————X—————

Orochimaru woke up in the middle of the night with the strange feeling of being watched from outside. Kabuto still slept close to him, facing the other side of the room, his arm holding the cushion he laid and his hair all over it. Orochimaru could just go back to sleep, but he felt someone outdoor. He pushed the covers from his body, going to the window without really minding the cold breeze that entered the room and almost made his naked body shiver. And after clearing his mind a little from the sleep, he found out it should be Kakashi supervising him. If so, he thought that Naruto really had become a responsible Hokage.

Thinking a bit more, he knew it could only be the ninja outside. And because of it, he wanted to play a little game with the man, but his attention immediately went back to the bed when he heard some noises coming from behind him. Kabuto had just sat on the mattress, his breath unsteady, his body visibly sweating and slightly shaking. Orochimaru could not see his face yet, his long hair covered most part of it. Then he got close to Kabuto, sitting beside him, touching his shoulder and feeling his skin cold. He looked at the younger’s face, taking silver strands away, seeing some discreet tears rolling down Kabuto's cheeks, slowly, and he understood what happened. He had a nightmare.

“Go take a shower, Kabuto. You are cold sweating.” He quietly said, tracing his fingers in the wet skin and wiping some tears away. “I will change the sheets while you do.”

Kabuto just nodded, not saying a word, and walked to the bathroom slowly. Orochimaru got up again and searched for clean tissues in the wardrobe, finding and changing them. He also picked two clean robes for him and Kabuto to wear. The night was a little colder than earlier, even if it was not raining since morning, and it would be better to wear something. None of them would want to catch a cold. And not so long after, he heard the other man getting out of the shower, stepping close to the bed. Orochimaru handed him one of the clothing, watching him get dressed and silently comb his wet hair with his fingers.

“You can go back to sleep. The bed is already clean.” He warned, watching Kabuto meticulously, but leaving him in his own space. He knew he should not press Kabuto over his limit.

He went to the shower as well, in need to clean himself from earlier. And standing there, feeling the water running on his body, he thought about what just happened. Kabuto having nightmares was not a totally unusual occurrence when they worked together, and when it happened, Orochimaru knew the reason. He tried to help Kabuto but never knew how, and most times he just awakened the younger. And, for that motive, he suspected the reason why Kabuto woke up disturbed this time.

He got out of the bathroom after some minutes, his own hair also wet from the wash. He expected to see Kabuto lying down, at least trying to sleep again, but he saw the man sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down with his glasses almost falling from his nose. So Orochimaru dressed himself and approached, standing beside Kabuto.

“I lost sleep.” The younger said, not even moving from the position, and Orochimaru saw the tears on his eyes again, now figuring out the exact motive.

“You still dream about her.” He stated more to himself than to Kabuto, but said it out loud to talk to him. He knew Kabuto needed to talk.

“The first days I moved in here were the worst. I could not sleep without it taking over my head. I saw her everywhere.” He lifted his head, drying his tears as he looked outside. “Urushi does not know about what happened, so, please, do not mention anything to him.”

“You know I would never do this to you.” The older said, leaning slightly on his desk. “I suppose you both do not talk about it.”

“We did once.” Kabuto knew he was saying too much, but he trusted Orochimaru to talk about it more than he would like to admit. The man knew the demons that haunted him ever since the day they met. Orochimaru also knew he had nightmares since then, and he have not judged Kabuto once for it. “He asked me if I knew what happened to mother, but I did not answer. And he knows I know something. But after that, we never talked about it again and he did not force me to.”

“It was not your fault.” Orochimaru said, trying to comfort Kabuto but knowing it would not work that much. He was not one who actually used to comfort people, so he knew he would not succeed.

“I know. But I hate to remember it.” He said still in the same small tone. “I do not like to remember mother on that day. Because of what I did and because she did not recognize me. I like to remember her on the first days. And that is the reason I chose to come back here. My best memories of her were made in this place.”

Kabuto had a sad tone in his voice when saying it, more silent tears rolling down his cheeks, making him dry them instantly. Hearing those words and seeing Kabuto that way, Orochimaru did something he almost never did. He regretted something he made in the past.

“I should not have entered your life.” The phrase was strong and made Kabuto look at the man immediately and intently. He knew what Orochimaru meant, but he did not like how the words sounded.

“We both know that if you did not, I would have died with mother a long time ago. I was broken and Danzou was not dumb. He would find me, one way or another.” He stated. “And just like you said yesterday, we both know that I could have ran away to betray you many times, but I chose to stay by your side for years, Orochimaru. And I always did.”

“I have not questioned your loyalty, Kabuto. But you belong to this place. You should never have been taken away from here.” He said, a little melancholic like he did not think he would ever do. He never thought he would regret something in a level that made him sad for someone else. “You found your identity in this Orphanage. The identity you always looked for. And I like this new you. You deserve it after searching for so long.”

A little and discreet smile appeared on Kabuto’s lips. He did not think their talking would result on those words spoken by the Sannin. Actually, Kabuto did not think he would ever hear such words come from anyone’s mouth, especially Orochimaru’s. He was surprised and yet, glad to hear them. He needed to hear that. _Thank you, Orochimaru-sama…_

“Apparently I am not the only one who has changed.” He said after recomposing himself just a little. It was a mischievous tone, but none of them intended to offend or be offended by it. And Orochimaru giggled a bit.

“It is funny how things turn out, is not it?” Kabuto agreed, turning his attention to his front again.

They stayed in silence for some time, like they waited for the thick atmosphere of the subject to fade away. It was a delicate memory for Kabuto but talking to Orochimaru about it felt like he was taking a heavy weight from his shoulders. It has been long enough since Kabuto talked intimately with someone that way. Of course, he trusted Urushi, but Urushi could not understand him in such a way. He did not know all of Kabuto’s past, so Kabuto never really talked to him about those problems he had. Also, he did not want to bother the man, and, at the same time, he could not. He could not bear the idea of Urushi hating him for what he did to Nonou. And now, after talking to Orochimaru, Kabuto was aware that the Sannin knew all of him, at his worst and also at his best.

But soon Kabuto got tired of thinking. His head was already aching from the bad dream he had, and he wanted to just forget about it a little. He could not change his past, so thinking about it would not lead him anywhere. So, he just got up and went to the window to breathe fresh air, starting to feel someone’s presence like Orochimaru did a little time before.

“It is only Kakashi. Naruto-kun told me he would send him here. You do not have to worry.” The older man said, approaching and standing beside Kabuto, resting his arms on the edge of the window. And Kabuto relaxed a bit after hearing the words, deciding to talk again about their relationship.

“Can I ask you something?” The Sannin nodded positively and Kabuto started to speak quietly. “Yesterday, you mentioned that you started to think about me when Mitsuki asked you a question. But you never said how long has it been since it happened.”

Orochimaru laughed a bit. _Still an audacious and curious man,_ he thought.

“You still are really observant.” He turned his head, resting his face on one hand and facing Kabuto. “It has been almost two years. Accepting that you were more important to me than I expected was rather difficult.”

Kabuto was _really_ surprised by the answer. He expected it to be something like months or almost a year, not _two_. And the answer, although making him happy, also showed him how Orochimaru was still a proud and stubborn man. Even when it was about his own feelings.

“And what about you, Kabuto?” He was somehow curious as well, the question being genuinely made without any sign of games or possible threats. “Before I visited you last month, have you ever thought of me in those years?”

Kabuto stared at the man’s eyes, feeling an unusual warmth coming from his gaze. He could easily fall for that glare if it was constantly present in the snake’s eyes. It made the man look gracious and even harmless somehow – although Kabuto knew better. And then, Kabuto answered the question honestly, because he could not lie about it even if he wanted to.

“Every time I looked in to the mirror.”

Now Orochimaru was the surprised one. He _definitely_ did not imagine this to come. It was so unexpected he already had another question ready to be made. He wanted to repeat the first day’s question to know if Kabuto hated him. But now he knew it was not necessary. He already got his response, and it pleased him enough for him to smile. He did not have anything to say, neither do. So, he just smiled.

There was nothing any of them could say anymore. If their feelings were not clear before, now they were. No words were needed, and both stayed in silence, looking at each other until Kabuto decided to sweetly kiss Orochimaru’s lips. This particular kiss was sweeter than all the kisses they shared. It did not have any other intentions, just the need to show how they felt around each other. Their hands touched slightly, in a soft move that matched the kiss, slow but also full of meaning.

Kabuto moved his other hand to Orochimaru’s neck, deepening the kiss as he intertwined their fingers together, and the older man just held his face, delighted with the sensation of those lips soft against his. They only separated from each other a few inches, with little smiles on their mouths. But then, Orochimaru realized how late it already was.

“We should sleep.” He whispered, since he had to leave the next day. Kabuto agreed, so, they laid in bed, covering themselves with the blanket. The Sannin held Kabuto’s body against his chest, like the possessive snake he was. He murmured something about Kabuto being warm, making the younger laugh just a little, feeling kisses on his light covered shoulder. And then, Orochimaru just laid his head on the pillow, making his nose touch Kabuto’s nape, as well as his silver hair.

Both stayed like that for some time, trying to rest. They always had some difficulty to sleep, and had light sleep, probably because in the past they always needed to stay alert for any possible threat. Years passed, some habits faded away and others come to routine, but Kabuto and Orochimaru still shared this problem in common.

“Orochimaru?” Kabuto started. “Are you still awake?”

“Yes. And actually, Kakashi is pissing me off out there.” His voice was muffled by Kabuto’s hair, and only after the response Kabuto realized why they were not sleeping yet.

“Do you think we should tell him to leave?” He asked again, thinking seriously about going outside to talk to the man.

Orochimaru did not answer. He just tightened his hold on Kabuto’s body, apparently forcing himself to sleep while wishing the ninja was going away. And after some minutes in silence, Kabuto felt the older relax and release him a little.

“I think he is leaving.” His voice was quiet, showing how sleepy he was. “I hope we can sleep in peace now.”

Kabuto chuckled. Orochimaru was already starting to fall asleep, so Kabuto just opted to rest in his arms, finally letting sleep take over him as well.

—————X—————

The following morning, Kabuto awakened early, but apparently not as early as the past days. Probably because of the interruption in his sleep in the evening. And he was still in Orochimaru’s arms, the man’s hold still tight on his body like he did not want to let Kabuto leave ever again. But Kabuto was too relaxed to really care about it, choosing to stay there until the Sannin woke up as well.

After some minutes, Orochimaru was awake. Soon both were up and ready to go outside the room, following together to the kitchen. Urushi was still sleeping, meaning that they have not slept as much as they initially thought, so it was still kind of early. Kabuto prepared their breakfast along with Urushi and Yamato’s, thinking of how much time it would take for any of them to get up. And coincidentally, the Anbu soon joined them.

Yamato was a little unsure about Kakashi’s appearance last night. On the afternoon of the day before, he reported to Naruto that what Orochimaru told them both about meeting Kabuto was true. He only wanted to stay with the man for no significant reason. Although the Hokage believed it, he also wanted to make sure everything was alright, so he sent Kakashi just like he already had planned before. But looking at the two men next to him, both looking calmer and _happier_ than ever, Yamato knew that nothing bad has happened.

“I think it will be better if we leave now.” Yamato said, finishing his breakfast. “Urushi seemed tired yesterday, and I think we should not bother him anymore.”

Along with him, the other two men decided it was better to leave before Urushi woke up. They agreed that the man was tired, more than anyone in there, so they would let him rest. Kabuto then accompanied them outside, while the sun was gradually rising. It was still a little cloudy, but apparently it would not rain. At least their travel back to the Hidden Sound would not be disturbed by heavy raindrops.

The farewell between Kabuto and Orochimaru was not a common one. They did not ask each other if they would be okay nor desperately tried to avoid being apart. They knew that even if they _loved_ each other – and would never say it out loud in any normal conditions –, they had much things to do alone, on their own. They knew that, even apart, they could take good care of themselves. Also, they knew that every time Orochimaru came to the Leaf, he would find a way to go to the Orphanage to see Kabuto. Because they were that way. And they trusted themselves enough to know that they would be fine without each other.

“I will come back soon, Kabuto.” The Sannin smiled a little after softly kissing Kabuto, speaking quietly so only they both heard.

“And I will wait for you, Orochimaru-sama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for every kudo, every bookmark and everyone who read this story. I appreciate you a lot, it really makes me happy to see that people actually are reading something I write.  
> If you want to, let me know what are your thoughts on this story, its flaws and its qualities as well.
> 
> I am writting a new story of this ship, it will be probably a little longer (not sure though), but I am afraid it is too much biologically technical (biotechnology makes you crazy). It will take a little more time to be finished because I have to reread it at least a hundred times, but as soon as I can, I will share it.
> 
> Ah, and also, I started using Instagram recently, so if you want to take a look or maybe follow me, it is @/bluevelvett05, just like my Twitter.
> 
> I really hope you liked this little story as much as I liked to write it. Thank you, again, and see you soon ❤


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